Argentina's Maritime Pilots Strike Halts Grain Exports, Stranding More Than 45 Vessels

A strike by Argentina's maritime pilots has blocked ships from entering and leaving the country's grain ports since Monday, disrupting trade for the world's top soybean product exporter and a major corn and wheat supplier, Al Jazeera reported. Gustavo Idigoras, president of the CIARA CEC business chamber, said at least 45 vessels had been affected by the protest as of Tuesday. The strike began after Argentine President Javier Milei's government issued a decree the preceding Friday deregulating river pilotage services. Argentina's coastguard ordered the pilots back to work on Tuesday through a notice in the country's official gazette, warning of possible disciplinary action. Most of Argentina's grain shipments move through the Parana River, so any bottleneck at its ports poses a significant risk to global food markets. Al Jazeera published this report on Saturday, August 8, 2026.